Shi Hua Shock
by The Elemental Kunoichi 4
Summary: We meet a girl. Quiet, keeps to herself, stays out of trouble. But she isn't all that predictable. A crisis has emerged in Republic city and the question is, what side is this girl on? LOK/OC Tahno/OC TBD
1. A Quiet Girl in a Loud City

**A/N: Hey, readers, your author here. I decided to write a Legend of Korra fanfic out of boredom and enjoyment of the series. For those who have read my other fanfic, don't worry, I'm still working on it… sorta. I have writers block (again :O). Hopefully it'll clear away once school is done for the year and I can get back at it. But for now, enjoy this story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Korra or the original Avatar: The Last Air Bender**

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**A Quiet Girl In a Loud City**

Republic city, the capital of the United Republic of Nations, is a place so lively and filled with busy people. Located near the Mo Ce Sea in the northwestern Earth Kingdom, it was founded by Fire Lord Zuko and Avatar Aang after the Hundred Year War. The metropolis was seen as a conclusion to the war's conflicts by allowing to house people from all nations, but though it was created to keep peace, an inner problem brews.

Now we meet a girl, about 17 years old with long, slightly shaggy, dark red-brown hair. Her eyes are dark orange, and she has pale skin and thin, pink lips. She wears a plain, golden yellow, off-the-shoulder, quarter-sleeve shirt with a wide, red cloth around her waist. Along with a jet black, open vest, she also wears a black skirt that stops a little above her knees. It has a long tear down the side revealing, long, tight, red pants underneath. Wearing black ankle boots with a short heel and a golden buckle on the sides, her outfit is plain, just like herself.

She doesn't know where she was born or where she came from, and she doesn't know who her real parents are. But from the information her adoptive parents, who are merchants, gave her, she does know that her parents were too young to take care of her and they had no choice but to leave her with complete strangers. From then on, she was raised in Republic city. And now, she is living in a small apartment, alone, while her adoptive parents travel around the world looking for new produce to sell. Luckily, she is the type of person who doesn't mind being on her own.

This girl can be found walking down the streets every morning, enjoying the day and the weather, alone of course. She lives in such a large city but only has a few friends. Being usually quiet, it's obvious she likes to keep to herself, away from all the issues that she may see. Even though she doesn't want to be noticed, it just so happens that the citizens do know of her because of her behavior. And they see her as the girl who will always stay out of trouble.

But this young lady will soon go for a ride. Not in a Satomobile in the streets, but in the chaos that erupts when Avatar Korra arrives and a revolution begins. So who is this girl?

Her name is Shi-Hua and this is the story of how she shocked almost all of Republic City.

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A/N: Reviews please!


	2. Unsocial Like Always

**Unsocial…Like Always**

A red and gold radio played loudly throughout Shi-Hua's family street market called Four Nationwide. The sun shone brightly through the protective glass between the openings of the metal gate in the early morning. The shop was empty and closed, and would remain that way until her parents returned.

She was awake at this time, like always. Sitting in the shady part behind the counter on a stool with her arms crossed over her chest and her feet propped up next to the register, she listened attentively to the news while looking out the front entrance, watching cars drive passed and people walk by.

The shop was located in a partially busy part of the city. Busy enough to bring many customers wanting to buy their merchandise, which were really popular in the city. They didn't sell usual fruits and vegetables from a farm they owned in the outskirts of the area. They sold food from all four nations bringing diversity to peoples' homes from one little shop. And that turned out to be their slogan.

Her parents were very into the whole idea, caring for the shop and advertising as much as they could, but Shi-Hua really couldn't care less. She was grateful for all she had because of the store, but hearing the slogan repeatedly and listening to her parents brag about groceries made her head hurt occasionally. Sometimes she would be forced to work while her parents were on their annual trips, and that meant talking to strangers, which she wasn't too fond of. But that only happened if there was still more left to sell. Luckily for her, it wasn't one of those times. All she needed to do was keep the store clean and take care of herself.

She sat there for some time listening to some music, traffic reports, weather predictions, breaking news, and other boring stories that the radio station believed was important to inform the citizens. After feeling as though she's heard everything twice, she decided it was time for her walk. She got up, pushed the stool underneath the counter, walked around, and headed for the radio. But before she turned it off, a new report caught her attention.

There was a little clearing of a female voice before words were spoken. "Hello? I'm Korra …your new Avatar." Shi-Hua stared at the radio questioningly while a line of questions were asked about her intentions. "Uh, yes," Korra's voice came on again. "I am definitely here to stay but honestly, I-I don't exactly have a plan yet. See I'm still in training. But… look, all I know is Avatar Aang meant for this city to be the center of peace and balance in the world and I believe we can make his dream a reality. I look forward to serving you. I'm so happy to be here. Thank you Republic city!"

She quickly turned the knob and the shop filled with silence. She sighed and grabbed her key from a hook above the radio. "I guess that's a little interesting," she muttered, before heading out into the street.

"Good morning, Shi-Hua," the owner of the shop across from Four Nationwide, who was an elderly woman, greeted.

She gave a small wave without making eye contact and continued walking.

"Always unsocial…" the shop owner whispered quietly while she watched the girl head down the street.

Shi-Hua barely looked up from her feet while on her walk. Her heels clicked against the pavement, but that was barely heard above the sounds of Satomobiles whizzing passed her and conversations people had. Most of the time no one even noticed her and she was fine with that.

Those who did notice did a few things. Some greeted her, some waved, and some just stared. But it didn't matter which one they chose, she did the same thing to all of them; wave without looking up or caring who the person was. And every time she did that, each person would say the same thing, "Always unsocial." Of course she would hear them, but she knows it's true and she doesn't mind people pointing it out.

Like every day, she passed Air Temple Island and the statue of Avatar Aang. She walked through the Central City Station and the statue of the former Fire Lord Zuko. And she went around the outside of the headquarters of the Metalbending Police Force with the statue of Toph Beifong. The girl would walk for hours, sometimes until the sun set off into the west. That was her clock and her signal to go home from her travels all around the city. But today was different. There was always that one day of the week where she wouldn't go home right away. Instead she went to the Pro-bending Arena.

Shi-Hua could already see the building from her current spot. It was large and brightly lit, looking beautifully golden in the water with beams of light shining out into the darkening sky. She thought it was odd that a quiet girl like herself would enjoy being in such a noisy place, but it wasn't the arena that she was a fan of. It was two people inside.

When she got there, she snuck in through the back when no one was looking. Unfortunately, it involved a bit of swimming and climbing but there was a spot where security was very poor that she was familiar with, and she wasn't going to waste her money when she was only going to watch a match that would only last a few minutes.

Climbing up and through a window, she ended up in a long, wide, empty hallway. She began heading down it, looking up for once. Stopping by an open doorway, she saw an old man cleaning up what looked like a training room.

"Hey Toza," Shi-Hua called out in her normal speaking voice. The man turned to face her.

"Ah, Shi-Hua, you're here again," he stated, welcomingly.

"Need any help?" she offered kindly, leaning against the doorframe.

"No, that's alright. I'm still capable of doing this dirty work. Besides, the brothers' match is about to start soon and you wouldn't want to miss that. Go on," he urged gently.

"Alright, then. See you around, Toza."

Shi-Hua walked further down the hallway until she found the doorway she wanted. She peeked inside the room to see the boys were there and was a little surprised to find a girl with one of them.

"Hey, Shi." Her nickname was called from a corner of the room from one of the boys. He had spiky black hair with golden eyes and was wearing his pro-bending uniform.

"Hey, Mako," she greeted, stepping into the room. "Hey Bolin." She turned to the other boy wearing the same uniform but had less spiky hair and green eyes.

"Shi!" Bolin spun around and grabbed his old friend. "Korra, this is Shi, or Shi-Hua. She's our good friend."

"Hi there." Korra smiled.

But just like with every other person, Shi-Hua simply waved and barely made eye contact.

"I just came to wish you guys luck tonight, and watch your match."

Mako walked passed her. "Well you came at the right time. Come on Bolin, let's go."

"Okay, I've got to go," Bolin told Korra. "Wish me luck…not that I'll need it." He joined up with his brother and their other member, Hasook.

Korra chuckled. "Good luck! Knock 'em out!"

Shi-Hua stepped up to one of the railings and looked down below. The playing field was hexagonal, split into two sides: one red, one blue. Each side was split into three zones. A large body of water surrounded and flowed underneath it. Seats under the large, intricate, glass-domed ceiling were filled with fans from all over the city and maybe from outside. Their cheering echoed throughout the entire building.

"So how long have you known Mako and Bolin?" Korra tried to make conversation but was shut down by the girl when she didn't bother to answer.

She watched the battle down below intensely with the orange eye that wasn't covered up by her hair. She witnessed Hasook take most of the beatings from the Tigerdillos. For most of the match, it seemed as though the Fire Ferrets were going to lose. But a twist occurred when Mako singlehandedly took down all three opponents with his firebending in the third round, winning the match for his team.

Shi-Hua cheered silently for a moment and then turned to Korra who was staring happily at Mako.

"Hey, do you mind telling the guys that I congratulate them?" she asked. "I have to get going."

The Avatar raised an eyebrow. "Um…sure."

She muttered a 'thank you' before walking out of the room.

"It was nice meeting you!" Korra yelled out to her. "…I guess."

A loud cheer erupted from her right side and then Bolin appeared next to her. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "One more win and we're in the championship tournament!"

"That's great." She smiled. "Oh, that Shi-Hua girl had to leave, but she wanted me to tell you congratulations." Korra paused before speaking again in a sincere voice. "I'm not trying to sound rude or anything but… is she always like that?"

"What do you mean?" Bolin looked confused.

She tried to find the right words to say. "Is she always… unsocial?"

He thought for a moment. "When she's not with us or Toza…pretty much."

It turned out that Shi-Hua hadn't left yet and was standing against the wall outside of their door. She heard what Korra said and came to realize that even people who had just met her could see what type of person she was in a snap. But like always, she didn't care what they had to say.

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**A/N: Yeah, I changed some dialogue of course and I didn't bother writing the pro-bending match scene because I didn't change any of that and you are able to watch it in one of the episodes. That okay? Reviews would be very nice! Thanks for reading!**


	3. The Beginning

**A/N: So Shizuka is now Shi-Hua which means "truth" in Chinese, and I changed her age to 17 (just one year more). Also, quick heads up,Also, quick heads up, this story will have some romance just like The Legend of Korra does and some foul language in the future. Hey, it's not like this is Nickelodeon :P. Anyways, hope you guys like the story so far. Read on!**

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**The Beginning**

There was a strange sense lingering in the atmosphere and Shi-Hua could feel it all around her. It gently poked at her, calling for her attention. She noticed its presence right away, leading her to question its intentions, and wonder what it was.

Just this small feeling in the pit of her stomach was big enough to aggravate her and she didn't like it at all. It rubbed her in all the wrong places, caused her to want to pull her hair out when a sudden burst of it ran through her, and even made her feel uncomfortable while she was alone.

She tried to ignore it and pretend as though the feeling was a false alarm. _But a false alarm would not_ _continue_ _to_ _ring_ _if_ _it_ _was_ _meant_ _to_ _disturb_, she pointed out, mentally scratching that off as a reason. She tried to convince herself that whatever was coming would be a minor thing, but that wasn't enough to make it go away.

The feeling stuck with her for a few days and after the denial, she took that time to really think, but it wasn't going easy on her.

Her mind began shutting out the outside world as she tried to find a way to get rid of the sense. She ignored the other citizens even more than before and didn't give any of them a wave because she was so deep in thought. She knew it was one of those things that would continue to grow and push her buttons until she found the reason…the _answer_.

And near the end of the week, one early morning in the store, she figured it out.

Shi-Hua was sitting in her usual spot in the store, listening to the radio when realized the strange sense came to her the day after she met Korra at the Pro-bending arena. Once she thought of her, the pieces of the puzzle began to fit together. While on her walks, she noticed she saw the girl at least once every day. And every time she would try to make conversation, the feeling went a little wild. At first she thought it was just irritation flowing through her but then she remembered the time she met Mako and Bolin.

After rethinking her analysis over, making sure it was correct, she decided to act on it. _I guess I can let her in… _she thought as she placed her feet on the ground. _She seems trustworthy enough. After all she is the _Avatar.

She got up from her seat, did her usual routine before heading out onto the street to go for her walk. But today, she didn't go in the direction she always went. Instead she headed the opposite way, towards Yue Bay.

**_*On Air Temple Island*_**

"Wow Korra, you've gotten so much better!" a little girl wearing a traditional air nomad outfit with two buns in her short, brown hair cheered over-excitedly.

"Thanks, Ikki," the young Avatar gladly accepted the praise after her hard work. She stood hunched over, trying to catch her breath from repeatedly spinning in and out of the twirling gates.

"It's becoming quite exceptional," Ikki's older sister, Jinora, added.

"I agree." Councilman Tenzin stood next to his daughters wearing the same outfit but with a red cape draped over. "You have greatly improved since the first time you tried."

Korra stood up straight and placed her hands on her hips. "I can feel the growth and it's starting to feel more natural," she said.

"I'm glad to hear that…" he responded with a nod. "I have to head off to work now, but you can continue your practice with the girls."

"Alright." Korra gave him a wave. "See you later, Tenzin."

"Bye, daddy! Have fun!" Ikki, who had enough energy to power most of the city, began to jump up and down.

Trying to ignore her little sister's hyperactive behavior, Jinora muttered, "Bye dad."

"Good bye girls." Tenzin walked off and around the spinning gates, but when he got to the steps, he stopped and stared down them curiously. "Hello, there. Can I help you?" he questioned someone that the girls couldn't see yet.

"Is Korra here?" The three heard a female voice mutter from the bottom.

"Yes, she's right up here." He gestured towards her and went on his way.

Korra, Jinora, and Ikki stood staring at just the sky for a few moments; only hearing the sound of footsteps gradually getting closer, until a dark brown haired, orange eyed girl captured their gaze.

Korra looked at the girl in surprise. "Shi-Hua?"

"Hey, Korra," she greeted, trying to sound as friendly and calm as she could. _There's_ _no_ _backing_ _out_, she told herself. _You've done this before, everything will be fine._

"Did you…did you just _greet_ me?" she stuttered.

Shi nodded once and continued to walk forward until she was standing right in front of the Avatar revealing her height was great enough to make the girl look up to her. "Can I… talk to you?" she asked in almost a whisper, refusing to make eye contact.

Korra raised an eyebrow still staring at the girl in disbelief. "I must be going crazy."

"No, I think that'd be me," she retorted through gritted teeth.

"So you actually have a voice?"

Her eyes locked with hers for the first time. "Just because I'm unsocial, doesn't mean I don't have a voice." She grunted, offended by her comment. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Can we talk or not?"

Korra raised her arms in surrender. "Okay, fine," she agreed. "Ikki, Jinora, would you mind leaving us alone for a bit?" She turned and glanced at the sisters behind her.

Suddenly, an episode of questions erupted from the younger one's mouth. "What are you going to talk about? Are you two going to tell secrets? Is it something serious? Oh, I wanna know! Oooo, she's pretty, right Jinora? Who is this girl? Where is she from? Why is her hair in her face? How'd you meet her Korra?"

"Ikki!" Korra snapped, shooting her an annoyed expression.

Jinora grabbed her sister by the hand. "Come on, let's go." The two walked off in the same direction as their father.

Shi didn't take her eyes off of Korra, nor did she react to the strange little girl. She simply took the time to go over what she had planned to say.

"I suppose something absolutely horrible must have happened since you've come all this way to speak with me." Korra's attention returned to the quiet girl. "Wait, how'd you find me?" she asked, suspiciously.

"Mako," the girl easily answered. "Speaking of which, I heard you two saved Bolin from getting his bending taken the other night. Thanks for doing that."

"Talking to and thanking me in the same hour?" It was obvious that her curiosity grew but instead of releasing it by drilling her with questions, she said, "He's my friend, of course I'd save him."

"Right…" She placed a hand on her hip and remained silent for a moment. "Look, I've talked to Mako and Bolin. I know that you're upset with me and that you think I don't like you, and I get why. I've ignored you every time you've said a word or more to me and acted as though I don't want to be around you. And I came here to tell you that I'm sorry." Korra was about to respond but she raised her other hand to stop her. "Before you ask anything, let me tell you that I didn't mean for it to come off that way. You're the freaking Avatar, who wouldn't like you or want to be around you?"

"I could name a few people," she muttered to herself, thinking about Chief Beifong, Amon and the Equalists, "but how do you-"

She quickly interrupted her, again knowing the answer. "The morning of the day I met you, you were on the radio informing the citizens of Republic City that you, the Avatar, had arrived. At the arena, Bolin introduced you as Korra, the girl on the radio said her name was Korra…"

"Well…okay…it is pretty obvious…"

"It's also pretty obvious that you wanted my attention."

"I just don't like being ignored," she explained.

"Because you're used to getting a response and I understand that now. It's just…usually, people settle for my little wave, but you actually wanted me to answer or talk back and you were going to constantly bug me until I did."

"If you knew that, why'd you still ignore me?"

"To test you." She shrugged. "I do it to practically everybody in this city."

"Why?" Korra pushed for an answer.

She tapped a finger to her lips and tried to find the right words. "It helps me determine who I should be friends with," she stated.

"How does ignoring people help you make friends?" She was absolutely confused.

Shi-Hua took a deep breath before responding, knowing her explanation would be a long one. "Listen, I am a strange and different person with a _lot_ of layers like an onion." Her simile made her face scrunch. "I sound like my parents right now using produce to explain something…" She shook her head before moving on. "Anyway, I am a lot to put up with, and I don't want friends who are going to show up and run out on me when I get a little crazy. I mean, why bother working your way into someone's life, when you're just going to leave when things get a little tough? That's why when I walk around, I ignore and treat everyone the same until I find someone who shows me that they want to see passed my outermost later: the unsocial part. And if they want to see more and they like it, I know that I can trust them and let them in."

Silence quickly filled the space between them and Shi-Hua knew the girl she stood before was slowly absorbing all the words that were spoken. She waited patiently and nervously, hoping the next thing Korra would say wouldn't be hurtful.

"Let me get this straight." Korra broke the silence. "You basically shut yourself away so that you don't make friends with the wrong people." Shi-Hua nodded. "Well then you could've just said that!" she jokingly scolded the girl. "Save me from a lecture, sheesh."

She let out a short laugh, hiding the relief she now felt."Either way, I think you were going to get one or else you wouldn't completely understand." She sighed. "I know it's stupid to say that that's the only way I'll make my friends. People always want as many as possible so they go out and find as many as they can, but sometimes friends become enemies and dealing with that _sucks_."

"Has that happened to you before?"

"No but it's happened to my parents," she admitted. "After seeing it, I realized that I didn't want to go through any of that. Thus, I started doing what I do today. And I'm kind of proud of it because I made three great friends." She smiled.

"There's only three?" Korra wondered.

She hummed a 'yes'. "Mako, Bolin, and you…if you want to be."

"I'd like that." The Avatar smiled. "Oh, what about Toza?"

"Eh, he doesn't completely count. It's not like we're close."

"What about your parents?"

Shi-Hua raised her visible eyebrow. "Are we naming my friends or people I _actually_ talk to? They're both small numbers, trust me."

"You aren't friends with your _own_ parents?" Korra looked at her oddly.

"They're actually my adoptive parents," she quickly mentioned, "and I am but not in the same way. I don't hang out with them like I would with Mako or Bolin, and I don't talk to them about certain stuff."

"I get it." She crossed her arms over her chest. "And by it, I mean everything."

"Really?" Korra confirmed with a swift nod. "That's great. I thought I'd have to keep talking. I have done this before but you're the first one who's wanted a deeper explanation. With the brothers they accepted me after I apologized and told them I'm not used to making friends; with Toza all it took was me helping him cleanup the practice room, but honestly I don't think I meant to become comfortable enough to talk to him."

"Hey, I don't believe an unsocial person becoming quickly acquainted with at least one person they meet is unheard of.

Shi-Hua chuckled. "Yeah," she agreed. "So…are we good then?"

"I don't see why not. At least I understand now. But I will admit that it is a bit strange."

"If we're going to be friends, you're going to have to deal with it," she stated with a snotty attitude.

"Sassy…" Korra hissed.

"It's one of my many _hidden_ layers."

The two girls shared a laugh together before they decided their passed conversation was over.

"I should get back to practice, but you're welcome to stay and watch."

"Um…sure, I guess." Shi-Hua eyed the motionless gate. "What are you doing exactly?"

"I'm getting used to the feel of the direction changes the air goes through while learning to be light on my feet."

"Interesting."

"You wanna try?"

She quickly backed away. "No thanks, I'm not the one who has to learn how to airbend." She noticed the two sisters had now returned and were patiently waiting on the other side. "Are those little girls going to try to talk to me?"

"Possibly. Why? What if they do?"

"I'll probably treat them like everyone else," she admitted.

"Wow, Shi-Hua…" Korra's face seemed to drop to the floor. "You do it to children too?" The girl regretfully nodded. "You spoke to their father, how can you not speak to them?"

"I only spoke to Councilman Tenzin because I needed to know where you were, and I figured since he's your master, he'd know."

"How do you know he's my master?"

"Really, Korra?" She raised her visible eyebrow. "It's not that hard to figure these things out. He's, like, the only master of airbending in the world, unless the fire nation missed more than just Avatar Aang."

"You really think things through," she stated before coming to a realization. "Let me guess. That's another one of your layers."

"Yup." She popped the ending letter.

"It may take me a while to get used to you, Shi-Hua." She left her and headed closer to the gates.

"Korra," she called. The avatar turned her head to meet her gaze. "You can call me Shi."

That made both girls smile at each other, but only one of them was internally happy.

Even though Shi was showing she was cheerful on the outside, on the inside she felt very uneasy. The feeling she had spent the past week trying to get rid of was still there.

_If letting her in was supposed to be the solution_, she thought, _why do things so much worse?_

Deep in her own worrisome thoughts, she sat down on the ground and watched Korra wind her way through the spiraling gates as if nothing was wrong.

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**A/N: Wooh! No more school and I am no longer a sophomore :) Well I've been done for about a week but the nice, warm weather distracted me. :P Let me know what you think! Until next time!**


	4. A Foolish Promise

**A/N: Thanks goes out to hidansgirl1234 for reviewing**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Korra**

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**A Foolish Promise**

The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks with force filled Shi-Hua's ears in the early afternoon. The water crept onto the sandy shore and barely touched the tip of her shoes. The blue-green color hypnotized her by creating such a beautiful sight. The smell of salt lingered in her nostrils and danced on her taste buds every time she opened her mouth to sigh. The cool sea breeze tickled her skin and blew around her hair causing it to be more disheveled than when she arrived.

Shi didn't know how long she had been standing there. Time seemed to have stopped as she repeatedly spaced in and out of her random thoughts. They mostly consisted of childhood fun, her parents, her travels, and meeting Mako and Bolin for the first time when she accidentally ran into both of them with a crate full of Water Tribe noodles. But there was one recent memory that kept appearing after each one, obviously wanting to run through her mind. And after running out of other things to daydream about, she decided to let it play in her head.

_*Three Days Ago*_

_It was in the middle of the afternoon when Shi-Hua walked down the long pathway to the Arena. With a bag full of frosted sweet dumplings she made herself, she wanted to spend some time with her two best friends. _

_The building was practically empty inside. Only a few teams were walking around, heading to the practice room to train for the championship tournament that was due to take place in a few days. She easily ignored them and wandered her to their apartment in one of the towers._

_After climbing many stairs, she finally made it to the last flight and quickly ran up them. Peaking in first before fully entering, she saw there was no sign of Mako, but there was Bolin who was sitting on their red couch near a ladder with Pabu on his lap. Immediately she sensed something was off about him and it wasn't because he looked extremely tired. After quick analysis she found he had a sad feeling emitting from all around him, and it caused concern to well up inside her. _

_"Hey Shi," he greeted, noticing her presence._

_"Hey," she replied unenthusiastically, climbing all the way into the apartment. "Where's Mako?" she wondered._

_"Working at the Power Plant," he answered. "He'll be back soon."_

_Nodding she asked, "Why the long face? Is everything alright?"_

_There was a long pause before she heard a sigh escape his lips. "A lot has happened, Shi…" he said. "A lot has happened."_

_She walked over to him, threw the bag onto a dresser located in the corner, and took a seat. Pabu gracefully hopped onto her lap before she lightly commanded, "Tell me."_

_Bolin leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. He tried his best to sound like his normal cheery self, but it was evident that he was disappointed. "For starters…the Fire Ferrets may not be in the championship tournament this year."_

_Her eyes widened greatly as she looked at him. "What?" Her concern was expressed by the urgency in her tone. The thought of them not being able to participate was unbelievable to her. They were exceptionally good and practically everyone knew that. They're just rookies and yet they've made it so far already. Even after all they've been through with the last minute player switch with Hasook and Korra, they were still on a roll. She believed they deserved to be in the tournament. "Why not?"_

_"We don't have the money," he answered sourly, refusing to make eye contact. "We were going to try to raise it, but we'll never get enough by the end of the week."_

_"How much do you need?"_

_"30,000 yuans," he muttered._

_Shi's jaw dropped at the large amount. "Damn…" She lengthened the word. "That's a _lot_ of money."_

_Bolin bobbed his head. "Yup, we're going to need a miracle." _

_A frown appeared on her face. She couldn't help but feel bad for them. Ever since they lost their parents they've been living on their own, raising money to buy food to eat, and having to take care of each other. She didn't need experience to know that it must be tough going through what they have to. _

_"You know I wish I could be that miracle for you guys," she spoke softly, gently placing a hand on Bolin's shoulder. He met her single-eyed gaze and grinned. "I would give you the money in a heartbeat."_

_"But your parents would probably kill you when they got back and found out you gave away 30,000 yuans," he pointed out._

_Shi nodded. "I would be _so_ dead."_

_"Unless you made it look like your store was robbed." He jokingly, but deviously smirked and raised his eyebrow. _

_"Bolin…" she scoffed. "There's no way I'm going to do that. It's a ridiculous and _unoriginal_ idea."_

_"Sorry, sorry," he apologized. "I was just throwing things out there. You know that's what I do." She couldn't help but smile at his wit. "Look, don't worry about it, Shi. If we receive a miracle, that'll be awesome, but if we don't, then there's always next year."_

_"I suppose you're right… But for the next few days I'm going to be hoping that you get your miracle. I'm going to believe that you're going to get your money and you'll be in the tournament."_

_"I'm sure we'll all be doing the exact same thing," he told her._

_A long silence filled the small gaps between them and they both just looked away from each other. Bolin watched Pabu sleep in Shi's lap, while Shi absentmindedly rubbed the ferret's fur while glancing out of the far window in front of her. _

_For some time they remained that way, not knowing what to talk about next, until Shi-Hua realized that that wasn't the rest of his story. Now that she noticed, she could tell there was something far more important to talk about than Pro-bending._

_"So, if that was for starters," she began, "what's next?" _

She remembered sensing his feelings suddenly change from sadness to a mixture of terrified and worried. She could still feel a hint of it now as she thought back.

_His eyes quickly filled with uncertainty. It was obvious he didn't know whether or not to tell her the even more shocking news. But after some quick thinking, he willingly informed her. "Last night…I almost lost my bending."_

_Shi's heart dropped at the thought. "…How?" she choked out, taken aback. _

_"That Amon dude," he stated._

_A shiver went down her spine. She's heard of him many times before. "That masked man that's beginning to terrorize the city?"_

_"Yeah…"_

_"What happened exactly? How'd you get into a situation like that?" _

_He hesitated, wondering how to start. But he figured he should just start from the beginning. "I was at Central City Station doing a street show with Pabu to try and raise money for the tournament. Not too long after we started, Shady Shin came up to me and told me the Triple Threats' needed some security work and that I would get paid real well. First I didn't believe him, but then he dropped a stack of yuans and said he knew where I could get more so I went off with him. I didn't know Equalists were going to break into their headquarters and capture all of us."_

Her stomach churned slightly as she recalled his tone being filled with regret and his eyes had such a terrified look.

_"We were locked up in a cold, cramped cell overnight. We barely got food, though none of us had an appetite. I thought I was never going to be let out and that I was going to be stuck there forever. But then they dragged us out the next night and threw us onto a stage in front of dozens of people. Amon was there and he flat out stated the spirits spoke to him and gave him the ability to remove someone's bending. To prove it, he challenged Lightning Bolt Zolt, saying he was going to give him a chance to keep it. They went at it for a few seconds and then Amon got a grip on him and… just took it away." Bolin acted completely astonished. "After, he took away Shady Shins and these two other guys, I was supposed to be next… but Mako and Korra saved me."_

_"How?" _

_"Mako told me Korra snuck into the side and broke one of the machines to let out steam. She waterbended it to fill the room so no one could see him grab me."_

_"That was them?" she whispered, becoming a little more shocked, but Bolin didn't hear._

_"So we got out through the back," he continued. "But some mustache guy caught up to us and used these weird rods to electrify the ladder we were on. We fell to the ground, got back up and started to fight with him. We ended up getting shocked worse and were almost done for, but Korra rescued us and we escaped on her giant, fluffy, polar bear dog."_

_While absorbing the scenario, she let out a long sigh. "The whole thing sounds dreadful, worrisome, and mind-blowing. You must have been scared out of your mind, Bo."_

_"I was…" He groaned. "I still am. I haven't slept at all because I keep picturing Amon's hand hovering over me, ready to press down and take away my bending."_

_"But he won't, because it's all just a nightmare now." She comforted him with her words. "As long as you stay away from danger or anything that makes you uneasy, I'm sure you'll be fine._

_"Yeah, I hope so."_

_Shi looked away from him, pursing her lips, unsure about what to say next. She let another long silence fill the room. Luckily it wasn't awkward. But soon the quietness was disrupted when footsteps were heard coming from the stairs._

_Mako had returned, appearing to be quite beat and almost as tired as Bolin. "Hey Shi," he greeted in a gravelly voice, taking a seat next to her. "What are you doing here?"_

_"Just visiting," she said. "Bolin told me the sad news about the tournament… and what happened last night."_

_"He did, did he? Pretty rough times we're going through right now."_

_"Yeah," she simply stated. Her mind was somewhere else at the moment. "Can I ask you guys for a favor?" she suddenly asked. _

_"Sure!" Bolin shrugged._

_Mako raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"_

_Shi took a deep breath before speaking. "Promise me… you'll be careful and you won't do anything stupid." _

_"Where is this coming from?" Mako questioned. "Do you know something?"_

_"No, no, of course not," she chuckled. "It's just…what happened last night really could've been prevented. Things in this city are starting to get pretty insane and it's not as safe as it used to be. Based on your encounter, it's become obvious to me that things are going to get heated, _fast,_" she warned. "I think some citizens have that feeling too because I can see they're becoming edgy already and that thing happened just last night. Imagine what it'll be like tomorrow, or next week. You two are like my brothers," she stated softly, "and I would crumble into a million pieces if something bad were to happen to you. So please, promise me you'll take care of yourselves."_

_It was evident she was scared by the tone of her voice and the rush of her words. And since they've known her for a long time, they could easily tell._

_"Wow, Shi… we never knew you felt that way." Bolin placed his hand over hers._

_She grinned. "Well now that you do," she whispered, wrapping her arms around the brothers' necks, pulling them close, "do you promise?"_

_"If it makes you feel better, then it's a yes for me," he agreed._

_"Yeah, we'll try," Mako nodded. _

_"Thank you." She felt relief come over her._

_"Is that bag full of your frosted sweet dumplings?" Bolin asked randomly._

Shi-Hua remembered smiling, ending that conversation. They quickly moved onto another and at one point it led them to talk about Korra's feelings towards her.

Now she felt it was the time to go. She had been at the beach for a good amount of time, though she still had no idea of exactly how long.

As Shi-Hua walked back towards the city, she thought about how foolish she was for asking. She knew the promise would be broken before she'd be prepared to deal with the scared emotion she'd feel and the thoughts of possibly losing them. Now that they were friends with Korra, the avatar who was going to have to take care of the big issue at hand, she knew Mako and Bolin were going to be dragged into the problematic situation and they were going to be trapped in it until the end.

She wondered why she even bothered. But then she remembered what she said. They were like her brothers and she wanted to protect them. And so she supposed it was for her own reassurance, hoping there was a chance that they would keep it and remain safe. Unfortunately she doubted that possibility.

The mental argument would continue in her mind even though it was evident which side was succeeding. And until she saw something that proved otherwise, Shi would have to go along with the fact that she had them make a foolish promise.

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**A/N: Just in case you're confused on when these scenes take place, let me help you all out! So, the conversation in this chapter is on a random day I made up that is between the two episodes The Revelation and The Voice in the Night. And Shi-Hua talks to Korra in the beginning of The Voices in the Night during the Masami scene. Hope that makes sense.**

**On another note… did anyone else watch the season finale? My mind was blown! It was so awesome. :P Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	5. Spark

**A/N: Um... oops? It's been a while, huh? So much for finishing this story before summer ended. Sorry readers, Junior year and cheerleading have really been taking up most of my time. Along with the fact that the show hasn't been playing on Nick ever since the season ended caused me to lose interest for a bit. But, here's an update! Side note: This chapter takes place the night of chapter 4 (when she was by the bay, not the flashback). Hope you like it!**

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**Spark  
**

Fire.

It burns, exerting off a heat that gives a tingling sensation to the body as it warms. It glows brightly like the sun, giving light to those who desire it. It is a necessity, an element that is absolutely needed in order to survive. Without it, the cold, darkness would take over, creating a world of endless suffering.

And yet, even with its usefulness, it is the most feared element because of its huge part in the Hundred Year War. When the Fire nation used their bending to conquer other nations, expand their territory, and end the lives of those who opposed them, not only did they spark a fear for their nation, they sparked a fear for fire as a whole.

If there was an element that was so misunderstood and misused, it would be fire.

And if there was a person in the world that was very similar, that would be the element in human form, it would be Shi-Hua.

She had the ability to bend.

Fire surrounded Shi-Hua as she spun around in circles and bent in ways that most people would find painful by just witnessing them. It escaped her hands and feet with every kick of her legs and swing of her arms. She bent it all around her, twirling and flipping in the process. It kept her body warm by flowing all around her and shifting in the air by her command. Sweat beaded up from her pale skin and dripped onto the wooden floor with every move she made. And with each minute that passed as she moved in such gracefulness, she loved the feeling more and more.

This was one of the things that made her stand out of her family. Other than the fact that she was obviously adopted, firebending made it even clearer that she was different. Her adoptive parents weren't born with such the ability nor did they come from the country that it originated. In fact, they both originally came from the Earth Kingdom of Omashu. With the help of her element Shi-Hua at least found out that she came from somewhere in the Fire Nation and it was the only part of her that brought her closer to who she really was.

She trained with it as much as she could and worked on combining her flexibility with her limited bending skills. Every few months, for three hours in one day, she has tried her best to sync the two up, and now it was starting to become second nature.

Landing her last flaming flip, she stopped. The fire quickly dispersed away and evaporated into the air. Her three hours were up and she was exhausted from all the actions she had done. Though she mostly felt the fatigue, she could still feel the progress she had just made.

During her rest, she began to aimlessly look around the large room. She stood there in her sweaty red t-shirt and black shorts, gently pulling at her hair that was tied up into a ponytail. Her eyes shifted over the yellow painted walls, quickly read the semi-large motivational poster her father hung up that read, 'I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.', and glanced over the open closet filled with staffs and other weapons. But when her eyes came to the olive green, headless, armless, and legless practice dummy that was planted into the floor by a metal rod, her attention was locked onto it.

Her eyes were glued to the object as she tried to slow her breathing. She thought of all the times she used it as a kid when her parents taught her how to fight, but before she could fully reminisce through one full memory, she saw a quick flash of light, and suddenly, she wasn't in her home anymore.

_There were 10, maybe 15, people wearing black masks in front of her, fighting against each other in another practice room similar to the one she was currently in. They were training and helping each other out when water suddenly stormed in from the small high windows. It swallowed a few people and encased them in ice. Then, there was a large crashing sound as what looked like officers charged into the room, capturing the rest except for one._

And that's where it ended.

Shi-Hua was back in her own home, still staring at the practice dummy. _A raid…? _she thought, questionably. But before she could analyze, someone decided to make it apparent that they were watching.

"Who would've known you had _that_ in you," a female voice coming from the window to her left interrupted her train of thought.

They startled Shi enough to make her jolt sideways, let out a short scream, and lose her balance. She managed to take a few steps backwards before tripping over her own foot and fall onto her back.

While she grumbled in both pain and irritation, the intruder, on the other hand, couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably at her clumsiness.

Shi-Hua roughly pushed herself back on her feet and walked towards her new friend who was wiping tears from her eyes. "Korra, how are you…?" She failed to finish her sentence as she looked down the window and saw the Avatar standing on a stony pillar. "Earthbending…of course," she concluded, moving out of the way so the girl could get in.

"Sorry," Korra apologized, a smile plastered on her face. "I thought you weren't home at first, but then I saw flickering from this window and I got a little curious," she explained quickly, sliding into the room. "But now that I saw what I did, I'm kind of glad it got the best of me."

Shi groaned. "Dammit," she cursed, gazing out into the redden sky. "I thought the sunset would've hidden that."

"Well, this window is in the shadow of the building across the street," she stated matter-of-factly.

A groan escaped her mouth once again as she slammed the window and the blinds shut.

"So, you're a firebender?" Korra asked the obvious. She walked to the center of the room and stood there, taking in every detail of the room. "Wow… I never would have guessed."

"I don't exactly go around, showing it off to people…" Shi explained, "Especially when I don't really know how to use it."

"What do you mean?" Korra turned around to meet her eyes.

"My parents are nonbenders." She shrugged it off as no big deal. "You can't exactly learn from them. But ever since I met Mako, he's been teaching me from time to time. Even so, I've only got down the basics."

"You're performing the basics in a _pretty_ way…" Korra smirked slyly. "That was some nice dancing."

Shi-Hua only rolled her eyes at her. "What are you doing here?" she questioned with a sigh, changing the subject to prevent further embarrassment. She could already feel her face becoming red. "And why are you all dressed up?"

The Avatar glanced down at her long, navy blue, water tribe dress as if she had forgotten what she was wearing at the moment. "Oh yeah," she began before lifting her head back up. "I wanted to invite you to this gala that's being thrown in honor of me."

"A gala?" she catechized as she walked over to the spot where she placed her glass of water and towel. "That's…a little much." She picked up her glass and took a drink before continuing. "But I guess it's appropriate. You are the Avatar," she said, keeping her back faced towards the girl.

"Yeah, I suppose," Korra admitted.

"Who is throwing you this extravagant get-together?" she wondered.

"Councilman Tarrlok…" Shi-Hua nodded, patting her forehead with her towel. "It's probably just some way to get me onto his task force," Korra inferred.

She turned her head to the side, continuing to wipe her body from sweat. "You don't want to be part of it?" she asked surprised.

"Not really." From the corner of her eye, she saw Korra have an unpleasant look on her face. "I have other things to take care of."

"Like learning to airbend?" she assumed.

"Exactly," Korra agreed.

After feeling she was a bit drier, Shi-Hua turned towards the girl, crossed her arms over her chest, leaned against the wall, and instituted the most obvious question. "If you know it's a setup, why are you going?"

Korra blinked a few times to take in her question. But it didn't take her very long to give an answer. "Like I said, it's in honor of me and if I don't show up that'd look pretty bad on my part."

"Good point." She shrugged. "So…why are you inviting me?"

"I thought you might want to attend since, we're sort of friends now," Korra responded. "And I thought you'd have some fun," she quickly added.

"Fun? At a gala?" She laughed. "I haven't been to one, but I can already tell it's going to be boring."

The young Avatar gave her a sour look.

Shi raised her hands up as a signal for the girl to hear her out. "Believe me when I say I would love to go for you, but for fun? I don't think so. It'll be all fancy and elegant, and it's practically just people having conversations for hours about dull business, you, and of course, Amon." At the last topic she mentioned, she noticed Korra gain a slightly frightened expression on her face. "Whoa, hey, are you alright." She walked closer to her.

After a quick second of silence, she shook her head and grinned. "Yeah," she replied. "I'm fine, so, um, I take it you won't be attending."

"Sorry, but no," she denied the request. "The whole thing isn't something I can picture myself going to. I mean, a highly unsocial girl going to a social event doesn't make much sense."

"You can be social with me," she persuaded.

"But what happens when a sophisticated citizen or Tarrlok pulls you away from me?" she thought up a random but realistic situation. "What am I supposed to do then?"

"Talk to another person?" she gave her another option.

Shi's face practically dropped to the floor. "You honestly don't understand what 'unsocial' means do you?"

"Oh, I do, but I don't believe you are." Korra stated which made the girl's eyebrow rise. "You're capable of holding a good conversation. You've done it with Mako, Bolin, and recently, me."

"That's different. I trust you guys." She defended her reasons for being uncommunicative. "Besides, what makes you think they'd even want to speak with me?"

"Why wouldn't they?" The Avatar was curious.

She simply shrugged her shoulders. "A lot of the citizens don't want to say more than just 'hello'," she began. "I'm seen as the most unsocial, shy girl in this city and when you're like that, people don't want to waste their breath on attempting to have a conversation. They'll mutter out a word or two to be polite, but after that they let me go. This is a busy place where everyone has to be everywhere. Why bother wasting time and your breath trying to talk someone like me?"

Korra frowned at her explanation. But it wasn't a reaction to her words. It was a reaction to the fact that Shi-Hua didn't seem hurt by any part of it even though she was involved. "Why do I get the feeling that something has to change?" The frown disappeared from her face while her mouth replaced it with a straight line. "Oh… because something _does_!" she answered herself, lunging forward so her face was a mere few inches from the other girl's.

"What do you mean?" Shi looked down at her confused.

"You're not just an unsocial shy girl. Hell, in my opinion you're neither of those." Korra exclaimed in her face. "There's so much more to you and you know that! So, why don't you let other people know?"

Shi-Hua felt a wave of an emotion flow through her that began to really irritate her. "Did you forget the conversation we had a few days ago? I basically told you that I am unsocial and I don't talk to people because I don't want to get too close to the wrong crowd."

"No, I remember," Korra reassured. "But, there is a difference between letting people in, and letting people know you," she wisely stated. "Just because they know who you really are, doesn't mean you're obligated to let them into your life."

Shi processed her words and an image of her true self flashed in her mind. Immediately, she thought of the whole thing as a bad idea. "If they knew who I _really _was, the treatment I would get, would probably be unbearable."

Korra took in a deep breath before responding. "Look, I know you've got the whole onion and layers thing going on and I get that you don't like talking to people because you're afraid," she sounded sincere, "but not everyone is going to do what you imagine they will. Having a simple conversation isn't going to hurt you or anybody. Now, I'm not forcing you to do it, and I'm not making you open up. I'm simply saying that you can open up a little without any conflict. Just because they know who you really are, doesn't mean you're obligated to let them into your life." She repeated the most important phrase to make sure it would stick with Shi-Hua.

"But I don't trust-"

"You don't have to trust them either," she interrupted. "It's not like you'll be sharing top secret information. The most you'll talk about is the things you mentioned before. Trust me when I say, it'll be easier to make true friends this way than what you've been doing. So come with me to the gala and start to open up a little."

Shi sighed and shook her head. But before she could give her final answer, the phone in the corner of the other side of the room rang.

"Hold on a second…" Shi muttered and walked away. Korra watched her every step. "Hello?" she spoke into the transmitter. As soon as she heard the voice in her ear, she knew exactly who it was and a bit of a shock ran through her. "Oh…hi…" she tried to sound as normal as possible and muffle the other person's voice, even though from Korra's viewpoint, only the girl's voice could be heard.

The conversation on the phone was quick. With a few hums to confirm and an 'okay' to end it, Shi hung up the phone and turned her attention back to Korra, only to end the conversation with her as well.

"I'm going to have to try 'opening up' some other time," she spoke softly.

"You're not going to come along?" Her arms crossed over her chest.

"It's not because I'm afraid to, don't worry," Shi told her. "That was… my dad on the phone. He wants me to do inventory because he wants to make sure the numbers are correct. Apparently, my mom or the other people have the wrong ones."

Korra sighed in defeat. "Well in that case, you probably should stay home," she agreed. "But I _will_ get you to open up some way or another," she playfully threatened.

"To make it easier, I'll at least try to do it on my own."

"Good, I'll give you the first step," she said. "Learn to let people know things about you that you aren't afraid to express. Start off easy and the rest will just flow with it." Shi gave her a swift nod to show her understanding. "I better get going," she informed. "The party should be starting soon."

"Are you leaving the way you came?" she joked, pointing towards the window. "Otherwise, you're welcome to use the front door."

Korra let out a little laugh. "Yeah, I think I'll go with the second choice."

Shi-Hua gestured towards the door and allowed her friend to head out first. They walked down her long, dimly-lit, green painted, hallway. Korra skimmed her eyes over the few framed pictures of Shi and her parents until they came to the stairs at the right end.

"That was your mom and dad?" Korra began to make conversation again. "I mean adoptive mom and dad?" she corrected herself quickly, remembering Shi tell her that.

Shi looked down the hallway at the pictures before answering. "Yes," she replied quietly behind her.

"Where are they exactly?" she asked. "You never told me."

"They're travelling around to the seaports of each nation to get more produce for the shop," the girl explained as they got to the bottom of the stairs and turned to go down another. "They're usually gone for a month or so."

They began walking side by side down the steps. Korra found herself wondering more about the girl's life. "You're just left here alone for that time?" She picked up a hint of sympathy in her voice.

"They used to take me with them when I was little. But now that I'm old enough, they have me take care of the shop. We were robbed badly a few years ago when we were all gone. That's why my parents taught me how to chi-block… the robbers were the Triple Threat Triad," she quickly mentioned.

Korra scoffed at the gang's name recalling the time she beat them to a pulp when she first arrived in Republic City. But then she remembered that night during the Revelation. "I wouldn't worry about them anymore," she told her friend. "Amon took their bending away."

"I know." Shi sniffled. "Too bad they're not the only gang around this city."

A moment of silence filled the air. Only the sound of Korra's shoes and Shi-Hua's feet walking down the steps were heard.

"What are their names?" Korra broke the short silence by asking a question.

"My mother's name is Nami, and my father's name is Taru," the girl willingly replied.

"How often do they go on the trip?" she asked another question.

"About every three or four months," she told her with a shrug. "It depends on sales and crap like that."

"You don't sound so enlightened about your families' store," she indicated.

Shi unaffectedly grumbled an agreement and dropped the subject.

The two continued down the rest of the flights of stairs without uttering anymore words, and as they made it into the store part of her home, Shi-Hua politely walked to the door and opened it for Korra.

"Have fun at your gala," she wished her as she leaned against wooden door.

"Thanks, I'll try," the Avatar sarcastically responded. "I still wish you were coming."

Shi smirked. "If my dad didn't call at that precise moment, I probably would be."

"Lucky you…" Korra mumbled. "But I swear if there's another big event that I have to attend, I'm dragging your ass with me. I really do believe you need to open up."

"Yeah, yeah…" Shi sassily flicked her wrist a few times and rolled her eyes. "I'll get to it, when I get to it, okay?"

Korra gave her an annoyed look. "That layer of yours is going to piss me off in the future," she alerted, with a death glare for emphasis.

Shi pursed her lips. "Warning taken into account," she let her know. "And if there _is_ another event, I'll try my best to be there."

Korra gave her a smile. "I'll hold you too it. See you later, Shi."

"Bye."

With that, Korra hopped onto Naga who had been waiting outside her house since the beginning of their conversations, and left the girl home alone to go to her gala.

As Shi-Hua walked back upstairs she felt something strange within her. It was warm and it tingled a little in the pit of her stomach. It confused her slightly and made her curious as to what it was, but she had to admit she kind of liked the feeling.

Little did Shi know, it was actually the product of an internal flame that had just sparked, and it would eventually burn away her old self.

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**A/N: Hopefully you picked up some of the interesting things I was putting down that will lead up to bigger events in future chapters. By the way the saying on the motivational poster is actually an ancient Chinese Proverb I got from my Physics Class. :) Thanks for reading! Hopefully I'll update sometime soon but unfortunately, I can't promise. See ya!**


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